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pike

1. A foot soldier's weapon, consisting of a long wooden shaft or staff, with a pointed steel head. It is now superseded by the bayonet.

2. A pointed head or spike; especially, one in the center of a shield or target.

3. A hayfork.

4. A pick.

5. A pointed or peaked hill.

6. A large haycock.

7. A turnpike; a toll bar.

8. (Science: zoology) A large fresh water fish (esox lucius), found in Europe and America, highly valued as a food fish; called also pickerel, gedd, luce, and jack.

blue pike, grass pike, green pike, wall-eyed pike, and yellow pike, are names, not of true pike, but of the wall-eye. See wall-eye. Gar pike. See Gar.

(Science: zoology) Pike perch, the garfish .

Origin: F. Pique; perhaps of Celtic origin; cf. W. Pig a prick, a point, beak, Arm. Pik pick. But cf. Also L. Picus woodpecker (see Pie magpie), and E. Spike. Cf. Pick, Peak, Pique.